Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-08
BESET BY DESPERATE BURGLARS.


and blacksmith shop with two residence
es, made up the buildings, and the fam
lies of the merchant were the only resi-
dents. The country about was thicBly
settled up, however, and trade was always
good. Before the merchant engaged me
he announced that would have to sleep
in the store O. nights, and unless I had
pluck enough to defend the place against
marauders he did not want me at any
price. He showed me shotgun, re-
volver, and a spring gun, which were
used, or on hand to be used, to defend
the place, and the windows, were protect
; ed with stout blinds and the doors by
double docks. The close of war had
drifted bad population into Indiana.
The highways were full of tramps, and
there were hundreds of men who had de-
termined to make living by some other
means than labor. Several attempts had
been made to rob the store, and it had
come to pass that no clerk wanted to
sleep there alone.
The merchant seemed salts fed with the
answers L gave him, and on a certain
Monday morning [ went to work. That
same night a store about four miles away
was broken into and robbed and the
clerk seriously wounded. Two nights
nejghborhood at the end of the week
farmer who was on his way home from
our store was robbed on the highway. If
/ had not been light sleeper from habit,
these occurrences would have tended to
prevent too lengthy dreams as 1 lay in
my little bedroom at the front of the sec
Ond story. The revolver was always
placed under my pillow and the shotgun
stood within reach. The spring gun was
set about midway of the lower floor. 1t
was double barreled shotgun, each bar
rel containing big charge of buckshot,
and the man who kicked the string and
discharged the gun would never know
what hurt him.
1t did not seem possible that anyone
could break into the store without arous-
ing me. There was no door to my room,
and after the people in the neighborhood
had gone to bed | could hear the slightest
noise in the store. | had looked the place
over for a weak spot, and had failed to
find it, but my own confidence came near
proving my destruction. [ should have
told you, in describing the store, that just
over the spot where we set the spring
gun an opening through which we
hois oand lowered such goods as were
stord flor time on the second floor.
Wneh nOC IN use bnlS opening was cover
ed by trap-door. Toward evening, on
the tenth day of my clerkship, I hoisted
up lot OF pals and had just finished
when trade became SO brisk that I was
called to wait upon customers. Later
on I saw that had left the trapdoor open
and | said to myself that / would let it go
until [ went tc bed. The store had the
only burglar-proof safe for miles around,
and it was customary for the farmer who
had 800 or so to leave it with US. He
received an envelope IN which TO inclose
it, and he could take out and put in as he
liked. On this evening four or five farm
ers came in to deposit,and, as [ afterward
figured up, we had about $1,000 in the
safe.
There were two strange faces in the
crowd that evening. One belonged to a
roughly dressed, evil-eyed man, who an
nOunced himeelf as a drover, and the
other to professional tramp. | gave
the latter piece of tobacco and some
crackers and cheese and he soon went
away, and we were so busy up to 8 o'clock
that L did not give the drover much at
tention. When we came to shut up the
store he had gone from my mind alto
gether. We counted up the cash, made
some charges in the day book, and it
left. [ was tired out, and took a candle
and made the circuit of the store, set the
spring gun, and went to bed. I had to
pass within SIX feet of the trap door as
went to my room, but l did not see it.
Tt was a rather chilly night in October,
and we had no fires yet, and as I got I'M
der abe blankets the warmth was so CRATE
full that [ soon fell asleep. It was the
first night had gone to bed without
thinking of robbers, and wondering how
should act in case they came in. I did
not know when fell asleep. L suddenly
found my self half upright in bed, and
there was an echo in the store as if the
fall of something had aroused me. 1t
was o'clock, and L had been asleep
almost three hours. Leaning on my
elbow, strained my ears to catch the
slightest sound, and after minute
heard movement downstairs. While
could not say what it was, short of in
stinct told me that it was made by some
human boing.
Everything on the street was as silent
as the grave. My window curtain was up,
and | could see that the sky had thicken-
ed up and was very black. l did not wait
for the noise to be repeated. | was just
as sure that someone was In the store as
if L had already seen him, and I crept
softly out of the bed, drew on my trows-
ers, and moved out into the big room,
having the revolver in my hand. l in
tended to go there and listen down the
stairway. As l was moving across the
room, which was then pretty clear of
goods as far as the trap door, suddenly
recollected this opening, and changed my
course to reach it. 1t vas terribly dark
In the room, and one unfamiliar with the
place would not have dared to move a
foot. Half way to the trap door I got
down on my hands and knees, and as I
reached the opening, settled down on
my stomach. There was a dim light down
stairs. That settled the fact that some
one was IL the store. After a minute T
heard whispers, then the movement of
feet, then a certain sound which located
the intruders to foot. They were at the
safe in front of the store. / drew myself
forward and looked down the opening. 1
could see a lighted candle and two or
three dark figures at the safe. and
<ha II, hal